> Justin wrote:
>
> > More Rorty, in my case. I'm not a utilitarian.
>
> Yes, no matter what one's metaethical and normative commitments are, it
> seems clear that entities without interests (i.e. at least vaguely
> human-like desires, pleasures, and pains) aren't proper objects of
ethical
> concern.
>
> -- Luke
================
The above is a textbook example of why an object ontology is inadequate for a theory of norms that must account for entities/interests embedded in/adapted to entities/systems that don't have said interests. What good, for instance does thinking about the well being of animals, in the terms above, accomplish without thinking of the air and water they need. One need not subscribe to deep ecology to see something rather limited with the instrumental rationality that flows from an object ontology that makes interests central to a normative theory. If we can have an ecological aesthetics serve as a motivator for demanding policies that deal with global warming, clean water and the like, we can have a cyborg aesthetics that makes the epistemic/ontic issues of whether strong AI is a realizable research program moot.
Mon key see and mon key do
Ma king ba bies, ea ting food
Smel ly things, pu bic hair
Words of lo ve, in the air
Sparks fly, shoo ting out
Ma king sure that eve ry thing is wor king
I can't turn you down
We are pro grammed hap py lit tle chil dren
Mat ter o ver mind
We can not re sis so I won't fight it
Love is a ma chine
Love is a ma chine without a dri ver
The facts of life
The facts of life
A masterpiece
Biology
Smokey water
Air conditioned
Boys 'n' girls
And automation
Chromosomes
Designer jeans
Chimpanzees
And human beings
Machines of love
Machines of love
Strong in body, strong in mind
A love machine with the facts of life
The facts of life
The facts of life
So much sex 'n' violence
Must be a bad design
We're stupid to be fighting
Every night
The monsters we create
They welcome us aboard
The best in advertising
> From coast to coast
The girls and boys combine
Like monkeys in the zoo
The clouds have silver linings
Looks pretty good
People fall in love like in fairy tales
I'm not sure I like, what they can do
I'm afraid that God has no master plan
He only takes -- what he can use
Factory life, ice cream & pie
Factory life
Someday we'll live on Venus
And men will walk on Mars
But we will still be monkeys
Down deep inside
If chimpanzees are smart
Then we will close our eyes
And let our instincts guide us
Oh oh oh oh no